Reviewer Responses
Thanks to Ghostwriter, bethsmom, spuffishipper, and WiccaWitch for their wonderful reviews and comments.
CHAPTER 4
Three days later, the Winchester Clan pulled up into the pre-arranged rental home. As they pulled into the parking lot, The Scoobies and John's friends all walked outside to greet the family. Buffy grinned as she saw her best friends and father figure, as she got out of the truck.
"Hey guys," she greeted them with a smile. "What's the what?" Giles and the rest of the Scoobies all shook their heads as they pulled her into a group hug.
As this was going on, John, Dean and Sam had their own little reunion with their friends, Pastor Jim Murphy, Caleb Reeves, Bobby Singer and Missouri Mosley. A few minutes later, both groups stepped back and looked at one another. Buffy chuckled at the tension in the air.
With a slight smile, Buffy began introductions. "John, Sam, Dean, I'd like you to meet the Scoobies; Rupert Giles, my Watcher and my adopted father; Xander Harris, one of my best and oldest friends; Willow Rosenberg, one of my best friends, and the most powerful Wicca in the world; Faith Lehane, my sister slayer and the last one to be called by the old method; and this is my sister Dawn Summers."
Faith had been looking the three men who had come with Buffy and couldn't help but notice they were all good looking. Especially the one with short cropped dirty blonde hair. As she was looking at the three men, Buffy continued to speak.
"Guys, this is John Winchester, my husband from when I was Mary Winchester, and our sons Dean and Sam," she finished the introductions, pointing out each person as she said his or her name.
A few minutes later, Faith was the first one to break the silence when she said, "Damn B, you got good taste in men and your boys are hot."
"Faith," Buffy said annoyed affection. Since Faith had been 'released' from jail and helped them destroy Sunnyhell while they were fighting the 'First' they had gotten along better. Buffy wouldn't say that Faith had become one of her best friends or another sister, but she did become a good friend and someone she would trust with her life.
"Oh come on B you can't tell me you and Johnny Boy here didn't do good work," Faith grinned wickedly.
Buffy shifted her glance and looked at her boys and saw that Sam and John were both blushing slightly and Dean was obviously pleased with Faith's comment and sizing her up as well. Buffy rolled her eyes and was about to speak when Giles spoke up suggesting that they all head inside so they could speak.
Everyone agreed and it was a good thing that Giles and Willow had gotten the rental home instead of the hotel rooms. There were just too many people to fit into one of those inadequate hotel rooms. John, Sam, Dean, and Buffy unloaded the 1986 Sierra Truck and Impala and brought the weapons and clothes into the house before they joined the others in the living room.
While the boys took seats on one of the couches, sharing it with Xander, John took one of the chairs and unconsciously Buffy perched herself on the arms of the chair that John was occupying. Xander, Willow, Faith, Dawn and Giles were all a little surprised at this. But none of them said anything about it.
After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Missouri decided to speak up and start off the conversation. "All right, John would you mind tellin' me what Jim, Caleb, Bobby and I are doing here? Cause I know it ain't cause you missed us," she said matter-of-factly, she then looked at Buffy and smiled. "And it's nice to see you're alive Mary honey, even if it's your reincarnation."
At that little declaration, Pastor Jim, Caleb, and Bobby's jaws all collectively dropped causing the Xander, Dean and Sam to all snigger and Willow, Dawn and Faith to chuckle. It looked like Buffy had been able to keep some secrets.
Buffy rolled her eyes, as John grinned at his old friends. He had known that they would be shocked… well all of them except Missouri. "All right, I know that you all know that we're here for a reason, but some of you have no clue what?" at everyone but Dean, Sam and John's nods, Buffy continued. "All right here's the sitch, for those of you who don't know. Here's the overview: before I was born as Buffy Summers, The Slayer… I was born Mary Peterson. I was 15 I became the Slayer, three years later I was killed by a vampire… however, my Watcher was a lot like you Giles, and after he revived me, he helped me get off the Council's radar. Four years later, I met John in Lawrence, Kansas. After he was discharged from the Marines, we got married, settled down and had Dean and Sam," she gestured to her boys, smiling. "In Nov. 1983, when Sam was exactly six months old this demon, Kilthersin, who ranks 3rd behind Satan, and the First, came to claim Sam. I got in the way and he killed me."
Buffy paused in her story allowing those who didn't know the whole story to absorb what was being told to them. After all, while Bobby, Missouri, Caleb and Pastor Jim knew the basics, they didn't know the specifics, just as the Scoobies didn't know the whole truth about her life as Mary Winchester.
Willow looked up at Buffy, tears in her eyes. "I can't believe that happened to you. Buthowdoes itexplainwhyyouwererebornasBuffy?"
Buffy, Faith, Dawn, Giles and Xander all shared a look at the red-head's typical babbling. "I think what Buffy was going to say is that because she was a slayer as Mary, the Powers needed a champion to fulfill and destroy all the prophecies that Buffy has," Giles thought aloud.
Pastor Jim, Missouri, Caleb and Bobby looked from Buffy to Giles and asked, "What prophecies?"
Dawn started naming them off, counting on her fingers. "Well there was the one where she died after defeating The Master but was revived with CPR by Xander and split the Slayer line, another prophecy was when she died closing a portal that opened to a hell dimension and would've destroyed all the dimensions, and then when Willow used magic to bring her back from Heaven, and last was when she had the idea to activate all of the potential slayers," As Dawn stopped her listing of the prophecies that Buffy had directly or indirectly broken, she noticed the jaws of the newbies drop and then their glances shift over to Buffy.
Buffy smiled sheepishly. "Ummmm…. Oops?"
Dean, still in slight shock, said, "You're telling me that my mother has died four times? And that red here pulled her out of heaven?" The last bit was said with a little anger and sadness in his voice.
Willow shook her head as she explained, "I didn't know that she was in Heaven Dean. How could I? The portal lead to a Hell Dimension. We all thought that she was in Hell."
At that Sam looked over at the red head and spoke. "What gives you the right to do something like that? You may be my mom's best friend but you shouldn't delve into magic at all if you can help it."
"It brought your 'mother' back didn't it?!" Xander was getting a little angry that Buffy's so-called children were both picking on Willow.
Willow laid a hand on Xander's arm and shook her head. "No Xander, he's right. If I hadn't brought her back then the First wouldn't have been able to take hold and the balance wouldn't have gone wonky."
Buffy got up from her spot on the arm of John's chairs and knelt in front of her boys. "Guys you don't know how much it means to me to know that even though I'm only Mary's reincarnation, you really do consider me to be your mother, but go easy on Willow. If she hadn't pulled me out, I wouldn't be here now," she said calmly before she moved back to her seat. Once re-seated, she looked at John's friends, and said, "Giles was right. The Powers that Be offered me a deal, and I took it. They had me reincarnated as potential Slayer Buffy Summers, and hid me from the Council until I was chosen. I was 're-called' when I was fifteen and have been The Slayer ever since then."
Missouri, who was sitting quietly, used her gift of being able to pick up on a person's surface thoughts and to see the most vivid memories, and was shocked at what she had found. The woman who had been Mary Winchester had lived a second life filled with such sadness and pain yet there was also a lot of happiness and hope as well.
For the next hour or so, Buffy and the Scoobies gave the Winchester men and their friends the bare bones, Reader's Digest version of their lives the last ten to eleven years… at least since Buffy's calling as a slayer in 1995.
John, Dean, Sam, Pastor Jim, Caleb, Bobby and Missouri all listened in shock and fascination as they learned about the demons and vampires that the Scoobies had fought. But if one looked over at Dean and Sam they would notice the look of awe, shock, and the little bit of hero worship in their eyes as they learned more about their mother.
"After Sunnyhell caved in," Dawn concluded, as she stole one of her favorite saying from Spike. "We all met up at the Hyperion Hotel, where Angel and his crew were working and regrouped before we moved to Cleveland to guard the Hellmouth there and also to reform the Watcher's Council," she finished as she sank back into her chair.
Buffy nodded in agreement with Dawn, "We didn't want the new council to be like the old one, and consider the Slayer to be just a weapon, so we kinda hijacked it."
Giles, who had mostly only added a little commentary when necessary, began to clean his glasses, and spoke up. "Yes, well, these last couple of years it's been quiet, for the Hellmouth. I assume that you," he nodded to Jim, Caleb, Bobby and John, "know what the cause is? I have been unable to pinpoint anything specific."
The four other men all shared a look, before Bobby spoke. "Well, it's like this, I've found there are more demonic possessions and spirit sightings then ever before, and knowing what we know about the plans Kiltharsin has…" he paused, "well it ain't lookin' pretty."
Buffy just pinned John with a look that said, 'Spill… NOW!' and he did. "I don't know much," John admitted, "and what I do know, Jim, Caleb, and Bobby also know. As does Missouri."
Dean and Sam looked at their dad, with looks of shock and anger on their faces. John, upon seeing that, sighed. "I'm sorry boys, I didn't want you know. I thought we'd be able to kill and get rid of Kiltharsin before you had to find out," he told them, his eyes closed. John then opened his eyes and continued to tell everyone what he knew.
Which wasn't all that much, but it was more than what the others knew.
1. Kiltharsin was ranked third in power after the First and Satan.
2. He was an incorporeal demon and in order to kill him he needed to be either possessing
someone or made corporeal.
3. He had some major plans to up his rank in Hell and they included using psychics.
Upon hearing this last little revelation, Sam rose from his seat, his face contorted into a mask of anger and fury as he glared at his father. "How long have you known this dad?" the last word was bit out angrily.
John couldn't look into his youngest son's eyes as he answered, "Five, almost six years."
"Why didn't you fucking tell me!? If I had known, Jess would be alive and wouldn't have had to be sent back and reborn!" Sam screamed as closed his eyes to push down his anger, but it wasn't helping. Just as he opened his eyes, the sound of something fly through the air and smash against the wall, startled everyone.
"Holy shit!" was the only exclamation made aloud as everyone looked from the wall and broken vase to Sam.